Garment-clasp



(No Model.)

n. L. & A. 1). SMITH.

' GARMENT CLASP. No. 380,951. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

iv. Firms Phcloiilhcgmpher, Washin glen. DZ (1 complete as applied to a strap; Fig. 2, a front UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT L. SMITH AND ALBERT D. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

GARMENT-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,951, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed February 16, 1858. Serial No. 164,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DWIGHT L. SMITH and ALBERT D. SMITH, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State'of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Garment-Clasps; and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a rear or back view of the clasp view of the same; Fig. 3, an edge view of the same; Fig. 4, a vertical central section showing the swinging jaw in the open position; Fig. 5, the same as Fig. 4, showing the jaws closed; Fig. 6, the blank from which the body and principal jaw are formed; Fig. 7, a transverse section through the body, showing the flanges b b,- Fig. 8, the second or swinging jaw, F, detached; Fig. 9, a modification in the formation of the pivot-seats for the swinging jaw; Fig. 10, a vertical central section illustrating modification in the interlocking of the han dles with the body; Fig. 11, a back view of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of clasps which are adapted for garment-supporters, especially stockings, and are commonly calledstocking-supporters"that is to say, a clasp which may be applied to the end of a strap, and having jaws adapted to grasp the stocking, so as to hold it up in its proper position, the object of the invention beinga cheap and simple construction of clasp; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the principal jaw of the clasp, which is formed as a part of the body B. This body and jaw are cut from sheet metal, as represented in Fig. 6, the jaw portion A being of the required width. The body B has a lateral projection, C, at each side beyond the edge of the jaw, and at the junction of the jaw portion and body portion a notch, a, is cut in the jaw ends of the said projections C C. The outer edge of the said projections is inclined backward toward the body from both ends, as clearly seen in Fig. 6. From the body an upward extension, D, is formed as an integral part of the body, and this extension is (No model.)

constructed with a wing, E, at each side, the said wings being adapted'to be closed upon the strap which is laid on the extension D, as willbe hereinafter described. The jaw A is bent backward into substantially semicircular shape, but so as to bring the nose endinto substantially the plane of the body B, as seen in Fig. 4. The two projections C C are turned backward and their edge turned over into a plane with the body B, and so that the turnedover edges form flanges b Z). (See Figs. 1 and 7 also seen in Figs. at and 5.) These flanges are distant from the back of the body B little more than the diameter of the wire of which the second jaw is to be formed, as in Figs. 4 and 5.

The second or swinging jaw, F, is made from wire, the jaw itself being parallel with the end or nose of thejaw A. The wire is bent, preferably, so that the central portion forms the saidjaw, and from the'ends of thejaw the wire is turned upward to form the two sides G G of the jaw, and then at a point distant from the jaw F substantially equal to the distance froin the nose of the jaw A to the notches a in the projections C C the two legs or sides are turned inward to form hinge-pivots cl (Z, (See Fig. 8,) and thence the two legs are turned upward, forming diverging spring-handles H H. The pivot portions (1 d are adapted to rest in the notches a a when the projections C C are turned up and over to form the flanges b b. The projections are laid in these notches before the flanges are turned over into a plane parallel with the body. The lower ends, 6 e, of the flanges b come substantially into contact with the back of thejaw A, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and so that the pivot portion of the second jaw is held in the said notches, and so that the saidjaw may turn therein as upon a hinge,as represented in Fig. 4. The two diverging spring-handles are distant from each other greater than the distance between the two flanges to at their narrowest point, and as seen in Fig. 1. Theinclined edges of the two flanges operate as cams upon the said two handles and so that as the handles are pressed toward the body, as from the position in Fig. 4 to that in Fig. 5, the converging edges of the two flanges b b act upon the diverging elastic spring-had dles H H, so as to cause the said spring-handles to approach each other, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1, and so that as the handles have passed inward beyond the edges of the said flanges b b then the reaction of the springhandles causes them to fly to the right and left beneath the flanges b I), as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and be there held.

The handles terminate in any convenient shape above the flanges, by which they may be grasped, and should project beyond the sides of the body, as represented, and so that the two projecting ends may be grasped by the thumb and finger and forced together, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 1. Then the jaw F is free to be turned upon its hinge, as seen in Fig. 4, and so as to separate the two jaws.

The clasp is attached to the strap I by laying the strap upon the flat surface of the extension D, and then turning the two wings E E over upon the strap, so as to close the strap upon the body; but other devices-for attaching the strap may be employed-say, as by forming aloop in the projection from the body, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 6.

To apply the clasp, the jaws are opened, as represented in Fig. 4. Then the portion of the garment to be engaged is introduced between the two jaws, and the jaws then closed upon the portion of the garment so introduced, as represented in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the edge of the jaw A may be serrated, or constructed in any of the known methods, to increase its holding capacity.

The converging inclined edges of the flanges b I) act as cams upon the spring-handles, so that their operation is to automatically force the handles toward each other as the jaw is forced to the closed position, and these camshaped edges are desirable for this reason; but a good result may be attained by making the edges straight, as indicated in broken lines at the right, Fig. 1, it only being essential that the flanges shall project so far as to permit the handles to pass between the flanges .and the body when the jaws are in the closed position.

Instead of making the notches a a in the jaw ends of the projections G O, the jaw itself at its bend or body may be bent so as to form the seat for the jaw-pivots, as represented in Fig. 9, and so that the ends of the projections may bear against the back of the jaw, as seen in Fig. 9, to retain the pivot-jaw in place.

While we prefer to make the handles H II diverging, and so as to engage beneath the flanges b, acting across the edges of the said flanges as cams, and whereby the said flanges serve as guards over the handles, the handle portions may have their ends turned forward at right angles, as seen in Fig. 10, instead of laterally, as seen in Fig. 8, and then, instead of employing the flanges b b, beneath which the handles will spring, the body is constructed with an an opening, g, (see Fig. 11,) through which the forwardly-turned ends of the handles may be pressed, as seen in Fig. 10, the handles yielding somewhat for the passage of the ends through the opening, and so that the ends of the handles interlock with the body when in the closed position and as seen in Fig. 10. In this case the wire jaw may be hinged to the body by cars h h, formed on the body and turned around the pivots, as seen-in Figs. 10 and 11. wish to be understood as limiting the invention to the elastic handles with the corresponding flanges on the body.

We claim- 1. The herein-described garment-clasp, consisting of the sheet-metal body B, having a projecting backwardlycurved jaw, A, the said body constructed with lateral projections G O, the said projections turned at right angles to the body, and the edges of the projections turned inward parallel with the body to form flanges b b, and so as to leavea space between the body and the said turned-over flanges, the said body at its end opposite the jaw constructed with a device by which it may be attached, combined with a second jaw, F, made from wire and corresponding to the jaw on the body, the two sides of the said jaw F turnedinward to form pivots d d, with diverging spring-handles H H extending from said pivots, the said pivots hung between the ends of said lateral projections G O and the back of the jaw, the said spring handles being adapted to pass beneath the said flanges b b when the jaws are in the closed position, substantially as described.

2. A clasp consisting of the body B, made from sheet metal and constructed with ajaw, A, backwardly curved and projecting therefrom, the body constructed with lateral pro jections O, the said projections constructed with notches a at their jaw end, the said projections turned backward from the body, and the edges of the projections turned inward to form flanges I) 1) parallel with the surface of the body, the edges of the said flanges eonverging from their jaw end upward, combined with a second jaw, F, made from wire, the sides of the jaw turned inward to form pivots d 'd, and thence turned upward to form diverging spring-handles H H, the said second jaw arranged upon the body B, with its pivots in the notches a a, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described garment-clasp, consisting of the sheet-metal body B, having a projecting backwardly-curved jaw, A, the body at the end opposite the jaw constructed for attachment, combined with a second jaw, F, made from wire, corresponding to the jaw on the body, the two sides of the said jaw F turned inward to form pivots d d, with handle H H extending from said pivots, the said jaw F hinged byits pivots to the said body, and the said handles constructed to interlock with the body when the jaws are in the closed position, substantially as described.

DWIGHT L. SMITH. ALBERT D. SMITH. Witnesses:

PORTER L. W001), E. W. MooRING, Jr.

WVe therefore do not IIO 

